Skip to main content

Vintage Chicago: The Devil in the White City

 
 
Erik Larson's The Devil in thie White City, transports you back to a Chicago that I barely recognize. It is dirty, dangerous, unplanned, risky...He explores two stories, the construction of the turn-of-the-century World's Fair and the murderous spree of a man named Holmes.
 
For me, the story of the fair was fascinating - not so much for the serial killer aspect, but for its careful detailing of the challenge that building an amazing World's Fair presented to these early Chicagoans. It changed the way I walk down Michigan Ave. on my daily commute. Suddenly, I stop to notice each historical plaque - recognizing the names of the architects who havecome to life for me in the pages of this book.
 
I also learned some great trivia about Chicago. Did you know that:
 
  • The Ferris Wheel was invented specifically for the Chicago World's Fair by an architect named Ferris who was trying to beat the Paris Fair that presented the Eiffel Tower?
    •  
  • Walt Disney's father, Elias, helped build the White City - the nickname given to the buildings of the fair. Perhaps it inspired the Magic Kingdom?
    •  
  • Products like Cracker Jack and Shredded Wheat were first introduced to visitors at the fair.
  •  
    •  
  • Pabst Blue Ribbon is named as such because it garnered a blue ribbon at the fair.
    •  
  • Frank Lloyd Wright, charmed by the fair's Japanese Temple, would soon be inspired to design Prairie architecture.
    •  
  • The national holiday of Columbus Day was instigated by a publicity event intended to raise the number of visitors to the fair.
    •  
  • The close of the fair was a memorial service to Mayor Harrison following his assassination.
    •  
  • Writer L. Frank Baum visited the fair and its grandeur inspired the Emerald City in Oz.
  • The new invention of electric lights graced the White City, further illuminating it against the grit and dust that usually marked the downtown of Chicago. For many visitors, it was the first time they could stroll through a well-lit neighborhood at night.
Beyond these smaller contributions, the fair proved how architecture could transform a plot of empty land to something bigger and grander and more spectacular than anyone ever dreamed. It was through the dreams and intellectual skills of men like Burnham and Sullivan and Root that the Chicago I know and love today was born.
 



Labels:

Comments

Mr. Tiny said…
I loved this book! I used to work for a Chicago-based company and they basically made it mandatory reading; I'm glad they did! I heard that a movie is supposed to be forthcoming but I haven't heard anything yet.
October 6, 2012 at 10:30 AM
Jamie Janosz said…
What an awesome job that requires you to read a book :-). I'm impressed! Wow - I wonder if the movie would focus more on the fair or on the serial killer... I would prefer the fair - it had plenty of intrigue.
October 6, 2012 at 12:13 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mary McLeod Bethune: She Has Given Her Best

I first heard about Mary McLeod Bethune when I was a student at Moody Bible Institute. She was an early graduate of my college - and an African American woman. I knew she had gone on to become one of the greatest women in our country. She was so well known that she earned the status of being featured on our postage stamps. But I didn't really know much about her. As I researched Mary McLeod Bethune for my book, When Others Shuddered: Eight Women Who Refused to Give Up . I learned a bit more about her remarkable life: She was the 15th of 17 children, born to former slaves. From an early age, she hungered for education. She graduated from Moody Bible Institute with a desire for missionary service to Africa - an opportunity she was denied because of her race. Undeterred, she started a school for African American girls in Daytona Beach, Florida, that went on to become Bethune Cookman University. She was asked to work with Franklin D. Roosevelt and led many ...
3 comments
Read more

Pacific Garden Mission: A Bed, A Meal and the Bright Light of Hope

In 1877, a woman named Sarah Dunn Clarke and her newly-wedded husband George started a rescue mission on Chicago’s south side.   They were wealthy, but their hearts were broken by the men and women who struggled to survive on the city’s streets.   The Pacific Garden Mission is the 2 nd oldest operating rescue mission in the United States. Now located on 14 th St and Canal – just south of Chicago’s loop – they offer shelter to as many as a thousand men and women on any given night.   As part of my book research to understand how the work of Sarah Clarke continues today, I visited the mission with my friend Dawn Pulgine. Entering through the side, we felt a bit out of our element. Men, black and white, old and young, clustered near the doorway. Some carried bags of personal belongings. Others were working the desk and security. It was mid-day at the Mission. We were given a tour by one of the “program men” – residents who choose to stay a...
2 comments
Read more

My Life as a Cosplay Mom

Cosplay?! What's that? When I tell people that my teenage daughter loves to cosplay, they often have no idea what I'm talking about. About five years ago, my daughter created her first costume to attend a cosplay convention. What I quickly learned is that her love for "cosplay" (defined as costume play) would definitely involve her mom! Together, we have made countless trips to the fabric and craft store as I learned to sew, trace, and glue, create patterns from scratch, and apply stage make-up. In the photo to the left, you can see my husband and I, with our daughter, in full Pokemon cosplay. Attending ACEN (Anime Central) at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL, two mild-mannered parents were instantly transformed into Team Magma. Our daughter had full design control, helping me create our group costume. Apparently we did it right, because the moment we entered the conference center, we were stopped for photos. Milt and I had to fake i...
Post a Comment
Read more